Holidays (Poetry)

The last day of term
all our lockers emptied
and goodbyes said
then it’s out the school gates
lumping along with all the stuff to take home
and the whole of the summer ahead

That sudden dizzy rush of freedom
stretching — making our crowd
(even the shy ones) loud with laughter
boasting about our holiday plans
all bound for August island
and hoping to be marooned there
with supplies of comics and lemonade
family seaside days, gaudy amusement arcades
and for one glorious week the fair would be in town
shaking the air with its decibels
as we queued for the rides

All that to look forward to
bedtimes turned flexible
the possibilities endless
expectations and daydreams
adventures long-planned
during dreary old lessons
at last the anticipated moment
close at hand ...

Somehow the petty-thieving clocks and calendars
made sure days slipped on by
snapshot images ... snatches of song
on the radio. The odd dog-earred postcard
survives to tell a sixties tale that reads
too much like fiction now

September came to one and all. An end to fun
Back to school — the rub of stiff new uniforms
Leaves falling. A hint of coldness smudging at the sky
and a feeling of drag to each weekday —
the slog uphill till Christmas

Life happened like that
Youth’s lazy carefree holiday whirled away
and Autumn much too suddenly in play
scenes changed while none of us were looking

All these years on some childhood friends
neighbours and most family gone
September means the weathered door to Winter
the year grown weary of itself
sun dozes in a corner
the longest holiday still to come